82 ACCOUNT OF THE ENGLISH COLONY [Marcft, 



that the owners would be deprived of the benefits which might re- 

 fult from the poffeffion of it. Under colour, therefore, of its belong- 

 ing to thole who were exempted in the late order, nearly all the flock 

 in the fettlement was in the courfe of a few nights cleftroyed ; a 

 wound being thereby given to the independence of the colony, which 

 could not eaiily befalved, and whofe injurious effects time and much 

 attention alone could remove. 



The expeded fupplies not having arrived on the 3d, the two com- 

 panies of marines with their officers and the colours of the corps 

 embarked on board the Sirius and the Supply. With them alia 

 embarked the Lieutenant-governor, and the fenior affiftant-furgeon 

 of the fettlement. On the day following, one hundred and fixteen 

 male and fixty-eight female convids, with twenty- feven children, 

 were put on board ; and on the 5th both the mips left the Cove. 



Immediately after their departure, the Governor directed his at- 

 tention to the regulation of the people who were left at Sydney, 

 and to the prefervation of what flock remained in the colony. For 

 thefe purpofes, he himfelf vifited the different huts and gardens 

 whofe tenants had juft quitted them, diflributing them to fucfi 

 convids as were either in miferable hovels, or without any fhelter at 

 all. It was true, that by this arrangement the idle found themfelves 

 provided for by the labour of many who had been induftrious ; 

 but they were at the fame time affured, that unlefs they kept in good 

 cultivation the gardens which they were allowed to poffefs, they mould 

 be turned out from the comforts of a good hut, to live under a rock 

 or a tree. That they might have time for this purpofe, the afternoon 

 of Wednefday, and the whole of Saturday, in each week, were gi- 

 ven to them. Much room was made every where by the numbers 

 who had embarked (in all two hundred and eighty-one perfons) ; the 

 military quarters had a deferted afped ; and the whole fettlement ap- 

 peared as if famine had already thinned it of half its numbers. 

 The little fociety that had been in the place was broken up, and 



every 



